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Infront China and CCTV Sports Promotion Corporation (CCTVSP) have announced a strategic partnership in support of the television broadcast of the matches of the Chinese national basketball team (Team China Basketball). In 2009, CCTV-5, the sports channel of China’s national television broadcaster CCTV, will broadcast all Team China games that are played in China and organised by Infront China.

Both teams will play a series of warm-up games – the men in preparation for the FIBA Asian Championship from 6-16 August in Tianjin City (CHN) and the women in preparation for the women’s event from 21 - 28 June in Taipei (TPE).

During May and June, there will be eight games for the men’s national team and nine games for the women’s national team. The CBA has invited some strong opposition, from the USA, Lithuania, Australia, Canada, and Cuba. Thanks to the new partnership with CCTV-5, there will be 17 top-class international basketball matches for China’s fans to enjoy on national public television. More games will be organised for the men’s team during July and August.


Helping the domestic sport

Infront China has been the exclusive marketing partner of the CBA and Team China since early 2006. Its technical assistance programmes and marketing plans have helped make basketball the top team sport in China, attracting the most television coverage of any domestic sport and helping to ensure a consistently high standard of performance in international competitions. The new agreement with CCTV is a very major step forward, helping to put a domestic – as opposed to imported – sport in a strong position in the ratings and adding significantly to the return for the sponsors who support Team China.

Ma Guoli, Managing Director & CEO of Infront China, said: “This is an important development and a considerable achievement in the context of our long term commitment to Chinese basketball. Infront China and CCTVSP will gain more audience attention and public support and the sport will attract more sponsors as a result. We look forward to many more wonderful basketball games in the future.”

Jiang Heping, the Chairman of CCTVSP, said: “We see it as our responsibility to support China’s basketball teams. CCTVSP will provide our best resources and I believe that this strategic partnership will benefit all parties.”


China – a powerful basketball nation

China is a powerful basketball nation. The Men’s team took gold in the last Asian Games and reached the quarter-finals at the 2008 Beijing Games, having fought its way through the most difficult group in the Olympic basketball tournament. It has been Asian champion 14 times, winning more gold medals than any other team in the history of this event.

The Women’s team also took gold at the last Asian Games and is ranked as one of the best teams in the world. In the recent Olympics, it triumphed over Spain, Czechoslovakia, Russia and Australia, reaching the semi finals. It has won the Asian champion title nine times.